Mark McKergow
Dr Mark McKergow is an international author, speaker and consultant based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is the co-author of Host: Six new roles of engagement (with Helen Bailey, Solutions Books 2014) and the co-editor of The Host Leadership Field Book (with Pierluigi Pugliese, Solutions Books, 2019). Mark is an editor of the Journal Of Solution Focused Practices. His latest book is The Next Generation Of Solution Focused Practice: Stretching the world for new opportunities and progress (Routledge, 2021). He is now writing about SF, Host Leadership and more on Substack (https://markmckergow.substack.com/).
Blue work/red work works both ways: Co-participation by host leaders and teams builds more than you think (Mark McKergow)
The separation of ‘thinking’ work from ‘doing’ work has been integral to management for over a century. This distinction is being challenged, most recently by David Marquet in his book ‘Turn The Ship Around’ where he catchily refers to these as Blue Work (thinking, innovating, changing) and Red Work (doing, implementing, producing). Marquet advises leaders to share the blue work around and involve more people in it.
And… as co-participating host leaders, might it work the other way around as well? What are the advantages of leaders doing Red Work occasionally? What might it mean? How can it work effectively? Explore how Blue and Red can make an attractive pattern for organisations and teams which are both humane AND effective in this interactive workshop.
